Cash-for-transfer scam: Punjab ex-minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot in ED net

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar/Chandigarh, January 15

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday arrested Congress former Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot in an alleged case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

He is the first former Congress minister to have been arrested by the ED as inquiries by the central agency are on against other former ministers of the party too.

Dharamsot appeared for the second time before ED officials this afternoon. Since he could not give concrete answers in reply to the allegations against him in the forest scam and disproportionate assets case during his questioning, the ED officials arrested him.

Sources in the ED said there had been statements recorded against him for taking bribe as some contractors and forest officials had already been interrogated in the case. The minister was also learnt have been quizzed on the source of assets he had made in the past few years.

Since he reportedly could not give any reply in his favour, the officials decided to arrest him. The ED officials had reportedly seized some incriminating documents against him during raids held at his place on November 30. The ED had then conducted raid at the house of ex-Forest Minister of Congress Sangat Singh Gilzian too.

His medical examination was conducted in the Civil Hospital here this evening. He will be kept in the ED lockup tonight and produced in the special PMLA court in Mohali tomorrow for seeking his remand for further questioning.

The arrest of Dharamsot in the alleged cash-for-transfer scam has also spelt trouble for forest officials who have already been summoned by the ED. Recently, seven forest officials had been summoned by the ED on the basis of the investigations done by the Punjab VB in case of corruption against the former minister. The ED had sought the record of the VB investigations through the court.

The ED had urged the court to issue directions to the VB to provide certified copies of the challan/chargesheet and other documents so as to initiate a probe under the PMLA. The VB had handed over the records, including a copy of the two FIRs related to the forest scam, chargesheets, evidence, information related to the accounts of the accused and other relevant records, to the ED in the court.

Earlier, the officials were questioned on the bribe money paid for transfer during the previous Congress government. During the VB probe, it had been pointed out that an alleged bribe of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh was paid for the transfer of a DFO, Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for a forest ranger, Rs 5 lakh for a block officer and Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh for the forest guard was paid through close aides of the former minister.

Vigilance probe findings

During a Punjab Vigilance Bureau investigation, it had been pointed out that an alleged bribe of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh was paid for the transfer of a DFO, Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for a forest ranger, Rs 5lakh for a block officer and Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh for the forest guard through close aides of the former minister

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#Congress #Enforcement Directorate #Mohali #Sadhu Singh Dharamsot